Robert T. Hardy was born on March 7, 1912, in Deerfield, New York.  His father was Arthur S Hardy (1884-1945) and his mother was Lulu Dorothy Thomas (1881-1943). Arthur and Lulu were married in 1909 and lived in Springfield, Otsego County in 1910. Born in 1912 Robert was their only child. In 1915 the family resided in Gloversville, Fulton County where Arthur was a salesman for New York State Electric and Gas. (NYSEG). In 1920 the family was in Utica, Oneida County and from 1925 to 1930 they were in Schuyler, Herkimer County. Robert and his parents moved frequently but they were concentrated in the western section of the Mohawk Valley. On May 11, 1934 Robert married Ruth Ada Herpy (1912-2008) in Utica. By 1940 he and Ruth were living in Oneonta, Otsego County. He, like his father, was salesman for NYSEG. Their first child, Alfred, was born in 1937 in Oneonta. They had two more sons, Frederick W. (1942) and Robert A. (1943). Both were born during the war years. On February 23, 1944 Robert enlisted in the U.S. Army and had his boot camp at Fort Dix, New Jersey. Below are two photographs, one of Robert and Ruth and the other of Robert with his three sons at their home on East Street, Oneonta. Robert was home on leave from boot camp.

Robert served in Company F of the 110 Infantry Regiment, 28th Division. The Division went overseas on October 8, 1943, arriving in South Wales where it began training for the invasion of Northern France. On 22 July 1944, the Division landed in Normandy, seven weeks after the D-Day landings and was almost immediately involved in the movement directly toward Germany.

Between September 19 and December 16, 1944, the Division entered into a series of brutal battles in the Hürtgen Forest, a rugged terrain area of 54 square miles located east of the Belgian–German border. See satellite image. At least 33,000 Americans were killed or wounded and the Germans suffered 28,000 casualties. One of the American casualties was Robert who was killed on November 4, 1944 at Vossenack, Kreis Düren, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany. He was 32 years old. He is buried in Springfield Cemetery, East Springfield, Otsego County, New York.

 If you notice anything erroneous in this profile or have additional information to contribute to it, please contact Jim Greenberg at nez13820@gmail.com.  

Sources

Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/101608965/robert_thomas-hardy: accessed February 2, 2025), memorial page for PVT Robert Thomas Hardy (7 Mar 1912–4 Nov 1944), Find a Grave Memorial ID 101608965, citing Springfield Cemetery, Springfield Center, Otsego County, New York, USA; Maintained by: Find a Grave. 

1910; Census Place: Springfield, Otsego, New York; Roll: T624_950; Page: 12B; Enumeration District: 0078; FHL microfilm: 1374963

https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/70972929/person/48228505249/facts

accessed July 7, 2022

New York State Archives; Albany, New York; State Population Census Schedules, 1915; Election District: 01; Assembly District: 01; City: Gloversville Ward 01; County: Fulton; Page: 14 https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/70972929/person/48228505249/facts accessed July 7, 2022

 1920; Census Place: Utica Ward 11, Oneida, New York; Roll: T625_1244; Page: 4A; Enumeration District: 164; Image: 506

https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/70972929/person/48228505249/facts

accessed July 7, 2022

New York State Archives; Albany, New York; State Population Census Schedules, 1925; Election District: 01; Assembly District: 01; City: Schuyler; County: Herkimer; Page: 4

https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/70972929/person/48228505163/facts accessed July 7, 2022

1940; Census Place: Oneonta, Otsego, New York; Roll: T627_2717; Page: 4A; Enumeration District: 39-32

https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/70972929/person/48228505249/facts accessed July 7, 2022

United States of America, Bureau of the Census; Washington, D.C.; Seventeenth Census of the United States, 1950; Record Group: Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790-2007; Record Group Number: 29; Residence Date: 1950; Home in 1950: Burbank, Los Angeles, California; Roll: 1787; Sheet Number: 10; Enumeration District: 62-18

https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/258941949:62308?tid=&pid=&queryId=0e6b9ce2247a8460195c899844366115&_phsrc=XFg16045&_phstart=successSource accessed June 30, 2022

National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; WWII Draft Registration Cards for New York State, 10/16/1940 - 03/31/1947; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 147

https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/302789512:2238?tid=&pid=&queryId=b3136d627888c7bc6ec6238b7464d51a&_phsrc=XFg16053&_phstart=successSource accessed June 30, 2022

Richard Atkinson (2013). The Guns at Last Light. p. 324. ISBN 9780805062908

Supporting Files